That was the message from Ross Moorlock, CEO of Brake, as he spoke at a Transport Select Committee session yesterday (3 June 2026).
Ross was one of a five-person panel of witnesses called to give evidence on key components of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy and how it could be implemented.
Addressing the session, he highlighted that the Strategy is ambitious and well-intentioned, but that in omitting any mention of post-crash support, it is “letting families down”.
Ross said: “From Brake's perspective, running the National Road Victim Service, supporting families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes, the post-crash component of the safe system is not covered off, and it's largely ignored within the strategy. And that's an area where we would like to see the strategy go much further.
“Quite rightly, a lot of this discussion will talk about and focus on prevention. But let's not forget that as we sit here today, people are dying on our roads, people are suffering serious, life-changing injury on our roads, and it's really important that we don't let those families down. The system is letting those families down.
“It’s important that we have the right support in place for those families, and we don't neglect the rights and needs of those families.”
Stronger licensing will save lives
Joining Ross on the panel were Steve Cole, director of policy and impact at RoSPA, Nicholas Lyes, policy and external communications director at IAMRoadSmart, Steve Gooding, director at the RAC Foundation, and Jamie Hassall, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).
They were questioned on the issue of stronger licencing for young and newly qualified drivers, with panellists urging MPs to follow evidence from other countries and implement a minimum learning period.
Brake’s Young Driver Safety report, published in April, revealed that 35% of people have been in a crash involving a young driver, or know someone who has. The report also highlighted that countries where safeguards for young drivers have been applied have seen as many as 55% fewer collisions and 83% fewer deaths.
Ross pointed out that while the discussion centres on young drivers, the impact is far wider. “An important point that's often a little neglected in relation to young driver crashes is that 50% of those people that are killed and seriously injured in crashes involving young drivers are other road users,” he said.
“[That] is often a statistic that is left out of the debate. But it isn't just something that affects young drivers, it's actually affecting all road users.”
There was agreement across the panel that learner drivers should have at least six months of practice before taking a test – most argued for longer. Importantly, the syllabus should broaden the skills and knowledge gained before being allowed to drive unaccompanied, panellists told MPs.
Jamie Hassall, advocating for a 12-month minimum learning period, said: “What’s perhaps more important within that learning period is what’s included. What experience do we want [learner drivers] to get?”
Nicholas Lyes added: “I also agree that it's really about what is learned at what particular stage of the process. A lot of young people will pass their test and not have experience driving at night, particularly if they've learned to drive in the summer periods. They won't know what it's like to drive if there's snow on the road. All of these sorts of things do make a difference.
“What we have to do is look at the itinerary that people are learning. And if it is not covering all bases, then frankly, they're not ready to go on the road on their own.”
What’s on paper is a solid foundation. It’s a good starting point, but that now needs to translate into action and urgency.
Ross Moorlock speaking at the Transport Select Committee session on Wednesday 3 June 2026.
“Action and urgency” needed to move forward
Concerns were raised about the stalling of a Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB), which was included in the Road Safey Strategy but without clarity and direction.
“There is a commitment to create such a thing, but exactly what it's going to be, what resources it's going to have, what access it's going to have to data sets, is as yet unclear,” said Steve Gooding. “And we think that's something where early progress could be made.
“Many other countries have road collision investigation branches. It seems to me to be something that we can very easily pick up and drop into our system and that would work here.
“I think [the RSIB is] the most important thing in the Strategy. If we get that right, that might actually set us up to have a Vision Zero.”
Ross summarised: “What’s on paper is a solid foundation. It’s a good starting point, but that now needs to translate into action and urgency.”
The hearing was led by chair of the Transport Select Committee, Ruth Cadbury MP, and was the first in a series of evidence sessions aimed at scrutinising key components of the Road Safety Strategy, including ambitions and targets, to inform the next stages of the inquiry.